Tank cap lock



I Feb. 1-948. MYERS 2,436,016

ITA'NK CAP LOCK Filed Aug. 30, 1944 2 Sh'eets 'Sheet l Inventor Attoneys R. A. MYERS TANK CAP LQGK Feb. 17, 1948.

Filed Aug. 30, 1944 2 SheetsSheet 2 uni-mm III!!! I I l III! .u gim x0 zaaw-"06 19. Nye-es,

y WWW fiM Patented Feb. 17, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OF F] C E 1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to new and use- 'ful improvements in caps for the filler necks of tanks and similar devices and has for its primary object to provide means for locking the cap in position on the neck.

More specifically the invention comprises the provision of a plurality of locking cams pivotally mounted on the underside of the cap and adapted for movement into and out of engagement with the inside of the tank at the edge of the opening therein together with a plunger slidably carried by the cap for moving the cams into and out of locking position.

A still further obiect is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction. which is .efilcient and reliable in use, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to manipulate and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view.

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the cams in locking and unlocking position.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the invention.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view thereof, and

Figure 7 is a side elevational view with the cam actuating means and the cams shown in section.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and first with respect to the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 4. inclusive. the numeral 5 designates a tank cap in the form of a disk having a gasket 6 secured to its underside and adapted for seating on the edge of the neck or other filler opening of a tank of conventional constructlon.

A plunger l'is slidably mounted through the central portion of the cap having a handle 8 at its upper end.

A block 9 is secured to the lower end of the plunger by a pin lo, the block having bifurcated portions II at its opposite sides through which pins l2 are inserted for pivotally attaching one end of links l3 thereto.

Pins I4 extend downwardly from the underside of the cap 5 on which U-shaped legs I la are freely mounted in inverted relation and tensionally held upwardly against the cap by coil springs Mb mounted on the lower ends of the pins.

The cams l6 are of generally segmental forma-- tion to provide a plurality of corners on the cams, one of said corners being pivotally mounted on the pin and another of said corners having a slot l6a formed therein provided with a transverse pin I1 and on which the outer end of the link I 3 is pivotally attached.

One edge of the cam is substantially flat as shown at l8 and disposed in substantially parallel relation with the underside of the cap 5 and adapted for extending under the top of a tank (not shown) when inserted through the filler opening thereof, when the cams are arranged in the position as shown by the dotted lines in Fig ure 4 of the drawings whereby to lock the cap in position on the filler neck of the tank.

By pulling the plunger 1 upwardly the cams will be pivoted on the legs I la to move the cams into the full line position as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings whereby the cap will be released from the tank and may be removed therefrom.

The coil springs Mb yield to variations in the thickness of the tank metal to provide for the tight sealing engagement of the cap on the neck of the tank.

7 In the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 5 to 7, inclusive, a block 20 is secured to the lower end of the plunger 2| by a pin 22, the block having four bifurcated extensions 23 to which links 24 are pivotally attached at their inner ends and with their outer ends pivotally attached to a corresponding number of cams 25 pivotally supported at the lower ends of legs 26 attached to the underside of the cap 21. Otherwise the construction and manner of operation of the device issimilar to that heretofore explained.

It is believed that the details of construction and manner of use of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

A tank cap adapted for closing an opening in a tank comprising a disk adapted to fit over said opening, legs mounted on said disk and adapted to be extended into said opening, segmental threecornered cams with a straight edge in a substantially common plane inoperative position pivoted at the inner corner adjacent the straight edge corner thereof on the lower ends of said legs for swinging movement to engage the straight edge thereof under the edge of said opening, an axial plunger slidable in said disk and having a 3' lower end head, and links connecting said head with the inner corner remote from the straight edge corner of said cams whereby sliding of said plunger will swing said cams, said legs being U- shaped to provide longitudinal guide slots therein, said cams swinging in said slots and being thereby prevented from lateral play, the mounting for said legs comprising studs on said disk on which said legs are slidably mounted and springtensioned whereby said straight edges of said cams are adapted to yieldingly engage the under edge of the opening to compensate for variations in the thickness of the material surrounding the opening.

RUFUS A. MYERS; e

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS France Jan. 30, 1919 

